Currently used drill rigs for drilling bores and/or installing bolts in a mine or a tunnel surface are powered by hydraulic and/or pneumatic systems. Such a drill rig may require one or more hoses and/or tubes to provide a flow of fluid for powering various components of the drill rig. The hoses may tend to increase an overall weight, design complexity and cost of the drill rig. Further, the drill rig may be provided with one or more structural members to provide support to the drill rig. During operation of the drill rig, forces and bending moments may act on the structural member in various directions. This may result in extreme stress and strain on the structural member causing the structural member to undergo detrimental deformations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,684 discloses improvements in the operation and construction of roof bolters or roof bolt installation apparatus. The improvements include a roof bolter constructed so that the critical moving parts of its timber jack, feed frame, feed carrier and rotational unit are comprised of a rod and sleeve construction. Such construction allows the protection of surfaces. The construction also includes feature of a spaced apart rod and sleeve construction which allows motive power units to be housed within the confines of the timber jack and feed carrier. The spaced apart arrangement also provides stability to the roof bolter.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,866 discloses a bolting apparatus and method for inserting a rod into a surface. The bolting apparatus includes a base having a foot end and a head end. The bolting apparatus includes at least one stabilizing rod extendable from the base head end and having a stabilizing rod end adapted to contact a surface to be drilled. The bolting apparatus includes a mechanism attached to the base between the base foot end and the stabilizing rod end and adapted to grip the rod.